lament

/ləˈmɛnt/

//ləˈmɛnt// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"lament" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lament” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,982 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,982
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An expression of grief, suffering, sadness or regret.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

lament vs lent
67% similar
lament vs lumen
67% similar
lament vs latest
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for lament
PropertyValue
Headwordlament
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ləˈmɛnt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#20,982
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lament” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). lament lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for lament is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ləˈmɛnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,982 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for lament, with forms such as "alment", "laemnt", and "lamennt". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "lent", "lumen", "latest", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: A back-formation from lamentation or else from Middle French lamenter and its etymon Latin lāmentor (“I wail, weep”), from lāmentum (“wailing, moaning, weeping”); with formative -mentum, from the root *la-, probably ultimately imitative. Also see latrare. The correct English form is lament, spelled L-A-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An expression of grief, suffering, sadness or regret.
  2. 2
    A song expressing grief.

Etymology

A back-formation from lamentation or else from Middle French lamenter and its etymon Latin lāmentor (“I wail, weep”), from lāmentum (“wailing, moaning, weeping”); with formative -mentum, from the root *la-, probably ultimately imitative. Also see latrare.

This word in other languages

lamento(Español)lamentation(Français)Klage(Deutsch)lamento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: alment,laemnt,lamennt,lamentt,lametn,lamment,lamnet,llament,lmaent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lament - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

alment2laemnt2lamennt1lamentt1lametn2lamment1lamnet2llament1
Edit distance from "lament"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "lament"?
"lament" is spelled L-A-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ləˈmɛnt/.
What does "lament" mean?
As a noun, "lament" means: An expression of grief, suffering, sadness or regret.
What words are commonly confused with "lament"?
"lament" is commonly confused with "lent", "lumen", "latest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lament"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lament" is /ləˈmɛnt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "lament"?
A back-formation from lamentation or else from Middle French lamenter and its etymon Latin lāmentor (“I wail, weep”), from lāmentum (“wailing, moaning, weeping”); with formative -mentum, from the root *la-, probably ultimately imitative. Also see ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “lament”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is L-A-M-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ləˈmɛnt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “lent” - see the side-by-side comparison. lament vs lent
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list